Ohtani's Pitching Mastery

Shohei Ohtani has allowed one earned run in 24 innings over his first four starts for the Los Angeles Dodgers, trimming his earned run average to 0.38. (espn.com) He worked six scoreless innings against San Francisco on April 22, striking out seven, walking none and reaching 100 miles per hour seven times. (mlb.com) The four-start run includes six scoreless innings against Cleveland on March 31, six innings with one unearned run against Toronto on April 8, and six innings with 10 strikeouts and one earned run against the Mets on April 15. (espn.com) (mlb.com 1) (mlb.com 2) (mlb.com 3) That line matters partly because Ohtani had not pitched in a major league game since August 23, 2023, before returning to the mound this season for the Dodgers. He underwent his second major right elbow surgery in September 2023. (mlb.com) The Dodgers spent much of 2025 using Ohtani only as a hitter while he recovered, and his rehab timetable was also affected by surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder after the 2024 World Series. (mlb.com) His early 2026 results have come with swing-and-miss stuff and run prevention at once: 25 strikeouts, six walks, 12 hits allowed and no home runs allowed in 24 innings, with a 0.75 walks-and-hits-per-inning pitched. (espn.com) (baseballsavant.mlb.com) Ohtani is also back in full two-way duty. On April 22, MLB.com noted he took the mound while carrying a 53-game on-base streak into the game, a reminder that the Dodgers are again using the same player as a top-of-the-order bat and a front-line starter. (mlb.com) The season is four starts old, and earned run average can swing quickly in April. But through 24 innings, Ohtani has looked less like a pitcher easing back from surgery and more like the version of himself the Dodgers signed to do both jobs at once. (espn.com) (mlb.com)